Radiator grille



Feb, 18, H936; c. l.. LEWELLEN RADIATOR GRILLE Filed March 5, 1934 ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 18, 1936 UNETED STATES RADIATOR GRILLE Chester L.Lewellen, Detroit, Mich., assignorto Motor Products Corporation,Detroit, Mich., a corporation of New York Application March 5, 1934,Serial No. 714,207

11 Claims.

This invention relates to radiator grillesl and refers more particularlyto grilles of the type employed in association with radiators of motorvehicles.

More specifically, this invention concerns itself with that type ofgrille having a frame and louvers or blades secured. in lateral spacedrelation to each Vother within the frame by means of supports or barsextending transversely of the blades. One of the principal objects ofthis invention is to simplify the construction of grilles of the generaltype set forth above and reduce the cost of manufacture thereof byproviding a connection between the blades and supports rendering itpossible to appreciably reduce the assembly time.

In accordance with this invention expedient assembly of the blades withthe bars is achieved by providing a snap engage-ment therebetween and itis a further object of this invention to provide such a connectionwherein accidental or unauthorized removal of the blades from the barsis prevented.

Still another' object of this invention resides in the provision o-f aconstruction of the foregoing character wherein they bars assume aposition between the front and rear edges of the blades in the assembledrelation thereof. This construction no-t only enhances the general apnpearance of the grille, but at the saine time: offers the possibility ofsupporting means in engagement with the rear edges of the blades.

With the foregoing as well as other objects in View, the inventionresides in the peculiar construction of the grille which will be mademore. apparent as this description proceeds, especially when consideredin connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a front elevational View of a grille constructed inaccordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of one of the crosssupports illustrating a blade in assembled relation therewith;

Figures 3, 4, and 5, are sectional Views taken substantially on theplanes indicated by the lines 3 3, 4 4, and 5 5 respectively, on Figure2;

Figure 6 is a detailed sectional view taken substantially on the line 65 of Figure 1;

Figure 'l is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the blades.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective View of one of the bars forholding the blades in assembled relation.

Referring now to the drawing, it will be noted that there is illustratedin Figure 1, a radiator grille II) comprising a marginal frame Il and aplurality of louvers or blades I2 secured in'lateral spaced relationWithin the frame by means of suitable bars I3 extending transversely ofthe blades.

The cross bars I3 are preferably stamped from sheet metal to form aplurality of scallops i4 in opposite longitudinal edges thereof and theapeXes of the scallops are fashioned during the stamping operation toform opposed wedge shaped ears or lugs I5. Although the bars may be bentto con,- form to any suitable shape of grille, nevertheless, they aresubstantially flat in cross-section and the lugs or ears I5 are disposedin the same plane as the body portions of the bars'.

In the specic embodiment of the invention selected herein for thepurpose of illustration, the blades I2 are substantially U-shaped incrosssection having the free edges thereof bent inwardly to formterminal flanges I6 and having portions of the free edges cut away atlongitudinally spaced points to form slots Il. The length of the slotsIl corresponds to the width of the cross bars I3 between the shouldersI8 formed by the Wedge shaped ears I'and the depth of these slotsv issubstantially equal to the thickness of the bars I3 plus the thicknessof the terminal flanges vI 6. The width of the space between theterminal iianges l5 is substantially less than the width of the baseportions of the lugs I5, but is sufcient to receive therebetween theapexes of the wedge shaped lugs I5, and the metal from which the bladesare formed possesses the inherent resiliency required to snap theterminal anges lI6 over the base portions of the wedge shaped lugs I5.Inasmuch as the length of each of the slots Il in the blades is equal tothe distance between the shoulders I8 associated with the opposed lugsl5 on the cross bars, and in view of the fact that the depth of theslots Il is equal to the thickness of the wedge shaped ears I5 plus thethickness of the terminal anges I5, it necessarily follows that theportions of the latter flanges adjacent opposite ends of the slots maybe snapped over the base portions of the ears in the manner clearlyshown in Figures 2 to 5 inclusive. The shoulders I8 will, of courseengage the opposite ends of the slot to prevent longitudinaldisplacement of the blades relative to the cross bar and the Width ofthe base portions of the ears is so determined as to prevent lateraldisplacement of the blades relative to the bars. Consequently, a snugconnection between the blades and cross bars results and accidental orunauthorized removal of the blades is positively prevented byyirtue ofthe fact that the fianges overlap the base portions of the ears.However, in the event it is desired to remove one or more of the bladesfrom the cross` bars, the terminal flanges may be spread apartsufliciently to disengage the same from the ears by inserting a suitabletool between the flanges adjacent the ears. It will further beappreciated that by reason of the foregoing construction, the portionsof the cross bars attached to the blades lie in a pla-ne between thefront and rear edges of the blades. As hereinbefore stated, this featureis desirable since it enhances the general appearance of the grille andprovides for supporting the grille with the rear edges of the blades incontacting relation with a surface.

It should be understood that the ears I5 are properly spaced so thatwhen the blades or louvers are subsequently engaged therewith, thelatter will naturally assume the proper spaced relationship in theassembly. The provision of the snap-on connection previously describedin detail not only insures a durable grille construction, but at thesame time enables the grille to be quickly assembled, and for thisreason materially reduces the cost of manufacture.

The principles involved herein may be obtained by various differentspecic constructions and reservation is made to make such changes in theconstruction as may come within the purview of the accompanying claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. In a radiator grille, a supporting bar having a projection extendingfrom one longitudinal edge thereof in the plane of the same, and alouver blade extending transversely of the bar and having portionsshaped for snap-on engagement with said projection.

2. In a radiator grille, a supporting bar having its oppositelongitudinal edges shaped to provide projections arranged in pairsspaced longitudinally of said bar with the projections of each pairdisposed opposite each other in a common plane, and a plurality oflouver blades having portions shaped for snap-on engagement with pairsof said projections.

3. In a radiator grille, a supporting bar having opposed projectionsextending in opposite directions from the longitudinal edges thereof,and a louver blade having flexible marginal edge portions fashioned forsnap-On engagement with the projections aforesaid on the bar.

4. In a radiator grille, a supporting bar having opposed projectionsextending in opposite directions from the longitudinal edges thereof,and a louver blade substantially U-shaped in cross-section provided withmeans at the longitudinal edges thereof adapted for snap-on engagementwith said projections.

5. In a radiator grille, a blade, a supporting bar extendingtransversely of the blade and having projections extending from thelongitudinal edges thereof in the same direction as the blade, and meansupon said blade fashioned for snapon engagement with said projections.

6. In a radiator grille, a supporting bar, a louver blade extendingtransversely of the supporting bar and slotted to receive the same, andprojections extending from opposite longitudinal edges of the barcooperating with portions of the louver blade at the ends of the slot tosecure the blade to the bar.

7. In a radiator grille, a supporting bar, a louver blade extendingtransversely of the supporting bar and slotted to receive said bar,projections extending from opposite longitudinal edges of the bar, andmeans on said blade at the ends of the slot fashioned for snap-onengagement with said projections.

8. In a radiator grille, a supporting bar, a louver blade extendingtransversely of the bar and slotted for receiving the same, shoulders atopposite longitudinal edges of the bar engageable with the ends of theslot to hold the blade against longitudinal displacement, projectionsextending from the shoulders, and means at the ends of the slot in thelouver blade fashioned for snapon engagement with the projections.

9. In a radiator grille, a supporting bar having substantially wedgeshaped projections extending from opposite longitudinal edges, asubstantially U-shaped louver blade having terminal iianges at the freeedges thereof fashioned to snap over the wedge shaped projections.

l0. In a radiator grille, a supporting bar having shoulders at oppositelongitudinal edges thereof, a substantially U-shaped louver blade havingthe free longitudinal edges thereof slotted to receive the supportingbar with the shoulders on the latter in engagement with the ends of theslot, projections on said supporting bar extending from the shouldersbeyond the ends of the slot in the louver blade, and terminal Iiangesprojecting inwardly from the longitudinal edges of the louver blade atopposite ends of the slot and extending in overlapping relation to theprojections.

1l. In a radiator grille, a supporting bar having shoulders on oppositelongitudinal edges thereof, a substantially U-shaped louver bladeextending transversely of the bar and slotted to receive the latter withthe shoulders thereon in engagement with the opposite ends of the slotin the blade, wedge shaped projections extending from the shouldersbeyond the ends of the slot, and inwardly extending terminal flanges atthe longitudinal edges of the louver blade fashioned to snap over thewedge shaped projections.

CHESTER L. LEWELLEN.

